The Thirteenth
by Euphonism
Summary: InuKag. Inuyasha once played a part in a Romeo and Juliet story between two races. But his Juliet betrayed him—so he killed her. Now he's in the middle of a secret war between miko and youkai. Only, who's the hunter and who's the prey? Modern AU.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **As the prologue, this is the set up for the story. Be warned of some Kikyo/Inuyasha fluff and angst. Kagome does not appear until the real chapters. Just warning you. And no, Kikyo's not the antagonist of the story. Yes, I deleted Whitewater since it bored me after the first chapter. Sorry! This one should go much longer.

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**The Thirteenth**  
by Viitoria

One. Prologue

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He fingered the gem of the large ring, smiling. Today was the day he would do it. Today was the day...The colored diamond gleamed in the dull lamplight and the red diamond flashed as red as blood. He paused but shook off the strange shiver that had crept up his spine.

_Kikyo_, he breathed quietly to himself, savoring the name on his tongue. He had devoted five years of his life to her already, and no matter how cold she seemed, he knew she loved him. Which was why he finally worked up the courage to do this.

With a content smile on his face, he pocketed the ring and it's case. Swinging off the desk he had been perched upon, he exited quickly to wait for his one true love.

The taxi stopped off the corner and an elegant woman with long raven locks got out. So enraptured was he by her that he almost missed the shadows move from the alleyway to the side. The next few scenes blurred past him; fragments of pictures flashed before his eyes. When he realized the intent of the figure in the shadows, the gun had already been pulled out, pointed at her—Kikyo. No one else noticed. No one else could see. He heard the loud click as the gun's hammer was cocked and saw the finger strain against the trigger as it was tugged.

He saw the bullet leave the barrel and fly towards the unsuspecting woman, who'd just turned to face the small killing ball of metal. With painstaking slowness, he ran forward, reaching as if to stop it. A sharp pain ripped through his palm, burning. The world returned at a roar, with people screaming and frantically running around. He looked up just in time to see the figure disappear back into the alley.

He turned to his fiancée-to-be. Her lips were drawn into a grim line and she too was staring at the alleyway. She didn't move to see him; it was as if she'd never noticed him. She took a step towards the alley.

"Kikyo," he called loudly.

She turned around, looking at him in confusion. Then a small smile crept across her lips, and she said his name in that voice that made his skin tingle in anticipation every time. "Inuyasha." Her gaze fell to his hand, only noticing his wound. "You're hurt!"

_Damn right_, he snorted to himself. He wanted to shake her and yell at her for putting herself in such danger without even realizing. She was forever being hunted, and he was forever saving her. How she could keep herself in such an oblivious daze was a wonder to him. _But it takes a toll on her._ She smiled rarely and always seemed cold and far off. But he knew better.

The crowd was frantic by now, gathered around and pointing at the blood on the ground. She was frowning now; looking around again. "They're back again, aren't they?" She retraced her steps back to him and he saw her aura flare as she deflected the scene from the minds of the pressing crowd. As they dispersed, she took his hand, examining it. She shook her head. "Inuyasha," she chided softly.

The tingling feeling returned and he shook her off. "It's just a scratch," he muttered. "You know I'll heal so enough." They both stared at the ground, the awkward silence numbing all thought. "Um, I have something for you." He fumbled around in his pockets for a moment before extracting the velvet case.

Her eyes widened. "Is that—but, that—" he raised a finger to her lips while keeping hold of the box in the same hand.

"Shh," he whispered in her ears.

She would not be quieted. "But they threw that into the river..." she frowned, then looked at him suspiciously, "did you...?" He nodded, soaking up her newfound radiance as she buried her head against him. "Heaven and hell," she murmured against his chest. He frowned, but didn't protest. It was just divine just to have her in his arms.

"Kikyo," he said after a while. "Don't you want to see it?"

Pulling away, he saw that her eyes were clouded with tears. Tears of happiness. That was enough of an answer for him. He lifted the case up and placed it in his palm before her. Some part of him noted that he had stained it with his blood, but it didn't matter now. Carefully, he slid his claws into the crack, flipping it open.

The shimmering jewel lay there on the silver band, a sharp contrast from the dark lining of the case. It was cut to perfection. He hesitated for a half moment before uttering the beginnings of the spell. "Will you marry me?"

Her dark brown eyes regarded him placidly for long moments, then flickered over the jewel. "Yes," she finally breathed, stretching out her hand.

He moved to take the ring out, but hissed in pain as his injured palm brushed against the sharp edge of the carved crystal. He cursed under his breath and moved it out of the way. When he looked up again, she was staring at him through those cold orbs. She didn't speak a word. She was never one for compassion, and only took the ring lightly from his palm.

The band slipped on her finger perfectly, neither large nor small. A perfect fit.

If only everything else were to be.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It's just who I am you see  
Sadistic to the last I exist  
Only to see the sorrow of other  
See this blood here on the ground?  
  
It _is_ your stain of sin.  
_ - __Stain of Sin_  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Three years_. Had it really been that short? _Four months. _They just dragged on and on. _Twelve days._ It was just too much for him to bear._ Six hours. _His lips turned up, canines flashing in a morbid smile to the mirror. _Fifteen minutes. _He took the scissors from the desk, opening and closing it, as if testing. He glanced at his watch. _Two seconds. _The blades closed on the first fistful of hair.

Indiscernible emotions flickered across his face as each strand of hair fell together, dropping down on the plush carpeting and embossed vanity table around him. The hair he had never cut in his life. His lifeline to the past. He paused at the two locks dropping down away from the mass; the two that framed his face. Not those yet. He hadn't cut himself off yet. He threw the silver scissors down the table, denting the mahogany wood.

A flick of his claws opened a small drawer, and from it he extracted two items. One was a gun. The other a broken ring of ruby diamond. Both fit snugly into the inside pockets of his neat Armani suit—the best he'd ever had. It was a pity it would be too ruined to keep after today.

With one last backwards glance at the room at the hazy figurine of himself in the mirror, he made his way to break the last connection. "Kikyo," he breathed. A feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed him, and the irony struck him full force. He'd done this before, for the exact opposite reason.

Pulling out of the parking space too quickly, a new scratch was placed on his wife's silver Porsche as he drove away. He ran his fingers through the shortened hair and frowned. His head felt too light; too vacant of the guilt that should be overwhelming him for the deed he was going to do. "Kikyo," he muttered again.

"Good-bye."

He stopped the car in front of a hydrant purposely and walked into the large building. "Yura," he smiled his most charming at the staring receptionist.

"You cut your hair!" she accused, looking in absolute horror. "How could you? The, hair, the—"

"Kikyo?" he interrupted. He was getting to the point of almost annoying himself when the name left his mouth.

The woman took in his attitude and instantly resumed an uncaring manner. "Third floor, the fifth door on the right." Then her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Can't a husband drop his wife a visit at work sometime?" he reproached teasingly. Yet the hard underline of his tone told the _oni_ otherwise.

"Honeymoon visit, huh?'

His perfectly chiseled lips pulled back into a feral grin. "You could say that." Without another word, he took off on the stairs. When Yura next saw the _hanyou_, he was dragging Kikyo with him out the door rather forcibly. The usually silent and cool _miko_ seemed overly flustered; even worried. There was something wrong with the scene. Horribly wrong.

"Where are we going?" Kikyo asked after she'd regained her composure and they'd been driving for sometime. Her demure mask in place, she stared at him in long sidelong glances. They'd started off half an hour ago in a direction they hadn't gone in over three years. _Three years._

And he had cut his hair; that in itself told her something was wrong. Very wrong. She knew he knew about all her little secrets, but he'd never brought any of them up. She didn't either. When at last they pulled up in front of a well-worn curb, she could detect a strange glint in his eyes.

"Out," he directed forcibly, slamming is own door. She obeyed in stone cold silence. "Recognize this place?"

She looked around, noting the dark alleyway. It came back instantly. "Come on," he crooked a finger for her to follow him into the shadows. She saw him watching for her reaction—there was none.

"Come," he repeated, louder.

"What are we doing here?" she demanded, scanning around.

He continued staring at her; that strange grin he'd developed of late on his lips again. "You should know," he told her, hands open in peace offering. "After all, this _is_ the place were you broke my heart. Thrice." _Three times_. For some reason, that was important.

She was backed up against the wall now. What did he want? She asked this aloud.

"What I want," he repeated, still smiling. Then he leaned down and kissed her. Hard. His lips bruised her just as his tongue swept through her mouth. Caught off guard, but knowing fully well this mood, she responded wonderfully, lifting her arms to wrap around his neck. He broke off. "No, I don't think so." He pulled her hands off him and planted them at her sides. He smiled. "Better."

That said, he began a kiss anew, trailing down to her neck. "It's a pity one can't rape one's own wife," he murmured, nuzzling the soft skin there.

"What?" Her breath came in short gasps. If she knew he was capable of this, then she wouldn't have...

"Oh, you know," he continued. "It wouldn't be as satisfying since I've had you already. She felt him move to reach for something, but she couldn't move. Something cold replaced his lips on her neck. The muzzle of a gun. Her heart quickened in fear.

"Why Inuyasha, why?"

He was still smirking. "Really now, Kikyo, you should know. Of all the time I caught you with him, I kept silent. And then the others—why? You should be the one telling me."

She was pressed against the wall the now, making soft whimpering sound. That wouldn't help her. "I don't know...Inuyasha, please." The muzzle of the gun moved down, stopping above her left breast.

"Why?" he asked again. Her question. "You broke my heart; I don't see why I can't break yours." The hammer was cocked, and knowing him, his finger was already touching the trigger. "And Naraku—I believe his name was, no?—wasn't shooting at you that day, was he now? He was shooting for me; he knew." He paused for dramatic effect. "And I wonder _why_ he knew that I was going to propose to you."

She nodded agreement. Smiling, she reached up, ignoring the gun still pressed between them and pulled him into a another kiss. Caught off guard, his grip loosened slightly on the gun. With a small movement of her torso, the weapon dropped to the floor. "You forgot what I used to be," she told him.

"You had this all planned out, didn't you?" His voice faltered, cracking slightly. He noticed that she had dropped the helpless mask.

"I did," she said nonchalantly, staring at the gun. "It was for your own good," she told him.

He stared at her, emotions raging dangerously across his face. Then a small spark of acceptance settled and grew. "Betraying me and killing me was for my own good? Disappearing at the wedding—with another man—was for my own good? Seeing Naraku after we were married was for my own good!?"

She shrugged. "Yes."

He nodded. "Okay," he said, raising his hands up in surrender. "I don't know what got into me. If you did it all for my good, then I'll have to change the reasons I have for killing you." He kicked the gun up to his hands. "That bullet—on the day I proposed, was meant for you. I'll just let him find you again." He turned around and stormed off. She heard the car wheels screech as it left.

Kikyo stood silently. He'd come back for her; she knew it. She never should have fallen in love with him in the first place; their kinds didn't mix. Never mixed. They were meant to hunt each other to extinction, even in this ignorant modern world. She pulled out her own firearm, staring at it in contemplation. The jewel...

The engine of an approaching car drowned out her side thoughts and she closed her mind to everything except what she'd been trained to do since birth. What all her kind were trained to do. The gun was cocked already and she raised it, watching in the quiet as the car doors slammed open and the silhouette appeared the entrance.

"Kikyo, I'm so—" His apology was shoved back down his throat as his vision fell on the gun aimed at his brain. His eyes glazed over, a tinge of blood appearing at his pupils. The first bullet shot past his right ear, tearing it ever so slightly. Exactly where she had wanted it. Her aim was immaculate, as always. He moved just in time to see the second bullet tear at the sleeve of his shirt, drawing blood where it had skimmed and broken his skin. If she was going to fire the killing shot, she would have done so already. But she hadn't, and that gave him the small advantage he needed.

With inhuman speed, he was by her side and the cold muzzle of steel touching his temple. He smelled her resolute decision and knew she would press it this time. Yet there was a streak of indecision as well. He took the chance to move his own defense mechanism to offense.

Her eyes narrowed as the arm snaked around to her back. "You'll die before I do," she accused. The pressing steel at the small of her back pushed against her uncomfortably.

"Perhaps."

Then she saw it. His eyes...they weren't the eyes of the man she'd known and loved for eight years. They weren't human anymore. While she'd faced down plenty of full demons much more dangerous than him, she'd never tried killing something so mixed. Love and Hate. Human and Demon. More demon.

She lost what chance she had in her thoughts and the killing machine that was growing before her saw. Without realizing it, the gun was taken from her. _No_, she pleaded silently. _Don't do it._

It was almost as if he heard her thoughts. "Kikyo," he smirked. The voice wasn't really his. It was, but it wasn't. He laughed and continued. "It won't help you, Kikyo, no matter what you do. Because you're not going to be alive to do it anymore."

She felt the searing pain before she heard the noise. And then she was on the ground, lying there, helplessly watching as her life's blood drained away from her. The bastard hadn't shot her where he knew she would die instantly. No, he'd opted to let her die slowly, as all sadistic men are to do.

Something dropped in front of her blurring vision. The ring. _The one I took off after that night... _A pair of feet appeared and clawed fingers bent to retrieve the lost item. "Oops," she heard him say. "Can't let you have that, can we now?"

Then he walked away. No turning back, no last whisper of her name. The man who killed her. Her friend. Her lover. Her husband. Her killer. And she was his First, and always would be.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Inuyasha stared off at the sunset, the remains of his platinum hair brushing his shoulders as the wind blew. The blood red moon stared back at him, reflected solemnly in his red-gold orbs. He removed his outer suit, studying the bloodstain there. He knew it would happen, all more was the pity. It had to happen sometime. He had fought it; they had both fought it. But at the end...

After all, what did a wife compare to an outfit? There could always be more. More blood, more deaths. More trodden hearts. He smiled.

* * *

**A/N:** The prologue and dawning of my new Project fic: The Thirteenth. I actually started this project some time ago, around the 5th chapter of Genuine Fake, but didn't have the heart to post it until now. As stated before, Kagome's appearing next chapter. Anyone want to take a guess at the title and why I called it that? 

Ah well. Hope you liked it, morbid as it seems. Yes, I wrote the poem. You can see the full version at my site, under 'The Thirteenth'. And yes it's still InuKag like I said in the summary. And yes, I wrote the poem, thoug that's not the entire thing. Remember to **review**!


	2. Little Sister

**A/N: **The prologue was too short for my tastes, so here's a much longer chapter. And so sorry for my mess up at the chapters; I uploaded the wrong thing. That or it cut everything off.

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**The Thirteenth**  
by Viitoria

Two. Little Sister

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Kagome strolled out the building, elated. Tossing back her raven hair, she glanced around for someone familiar. She spotted him almost immediately and walked over.

"Miroku," she greeted, a wide grin on her face. The young man sitting by himself at the bench didn't respond. She rolled her eyes. He was probably daydreaming about a girl he'd seen while waiting. "Miroku!" she yelled louder in his ear. If this was the way she had to get his attention every time, it was almost certain that he'd get a heart attack sooner or later. Most likely sooner.

As most natural folk do, he jumped and turned. His left hand was raised in defense. The girl raised an eyebrow at the cloth-covered arm. "If I'd known you'd take to the habit of sucking your sister into hellholes, I wouldn't have begged grandpa to adopt you."

He pouted and huffed, "If I'd known I'd get a sister like you..."

"...then you would never have got to _go on dates_ all those _pretty_ girls you lust after because they're your _sister's_ friends," his little sister finished for him. She smiled as he gave her the evil eye. Rocking back and forth on her heels, she stared the tree beside them. "Well?" she prodded suddenly. "What did you think?"

"Think about what?" Miroku caught sight of the girl he'd seen earlier. Leaning back, he admired the long hair and the perfect curves of the young woman. "Pink eye shadow...all woman should wear that," he said dreamily to himself.

"Miroku!" Kagome snapped, temper growing short at the lack of attentiveness given to her. "Stop staring at that woman." Cocking her head to the side, she studied her. "And you can't have her, anyway."

His head snapped towards her at the added sentence. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that she's that lawyer w—"

"No," he interrupted. "What do you mean by me _having_ her?" He regarded her while crossing his arms and pulling his lips into a bigger pout. "Are you accusing me of lechery?"

Kagome let out a coughing laugh. "I won't even go into that." Then her hair was wrapped nervously around her finger, twirling it into curls then letting it drop. "But really, Miroku, tell me."

"Tell you what?"

She sighed and pulled out a folded piece of paper and shoved it into the hands. "Tell me what you thought about...everything."

Unfolding the page, he studied the fine print text printed on it. "Well," he started slowly. "_Everything_ is a broad topic. I think we should go somewhere more _private_ to talk about _everything_." He stood up and pulled his little sister off by the hand to lead her to that private place.

Kagome, of course, protested. At first, she tried tugging out of his grip, knowing fully well that doing so was just about near impossible. Once Miroku grabbed hold of something, he really kept hold of it. Especially when it came to women outside immediate family. To some extent at least. Next, she tried the twisting technique taught to her just recently, moving her hand so his was forced to turn. Somehow or the other, he managed to change position of his own arm without loosening her. She scowled. _Stupid techniques take forever to learn and they don't work_, she grumbled silently.

At the end, she settled for the old method. Moving her thumb free, she dug her nails under the his, pinching at the soft skin underneath. He immediately yelped and let go of her.

"Finally!" She rubbed her hands. "I'm nineteen, Miroku, and I'd like to be treated like so," she informed him. "And holding hands with my big 'bwoder' doesn't qualify anymore."

Miroku, now glowering at her, was sucking his hurt thumb. "You could have just told me that, instead of using a dirty trick like that," he shot back.

"Well, the other ones didn't work."

He snorted. "This is why old Kaede didn't grant you permission.'

"That's because Kaede is old and bitchy," she muttered. "And she doesn't like me because I look like her sister."

The adopted Higurashi shook his head. "No, Kaede's fair. She's only concerned for you, like we all are. I, for one, don't want to loose my little sister when she..." he trailed off deliberately. "But let's get off this topic; we're going to talk about _everything_ in that _private_ place, right?"

She sighed in acceptance. "Yeah, I guess."

"Good," he said firmly and led off again, leaving no room for further discussion. Kagome sighted and followed.

He brought them to a large office building, taking them up to the basement floors. They had come here plenty of times—since a three year-old Kagome had first met the seven year-old and newly orphaned son of the famous ex-monk. Needless to say, the little girl had been lost and the boy had been running off. But that was a story for another time.

The elevator was slow to descend, and Kagome felt the familiar nausea rise in her just like every time she got into one of them. She preferred escalators, thank you very much, but the lack of them in the building posed a problem. The siblings stood in silence throughout the whole time, wither her staring at the flooring and Miroku at the ceiling. Both were relieved when the bell informed them of their arrival at the destination.

Brother exited after sister into the long hallway. After some distance, Miroku cut in front of her and pulled out a card, sliding it quickly through the slot. A screen appeared in the middle of the door, asking for a code. The man punched the set of numbers in and they were finally allowed access.

"When I said everything, I didn't mean _everything_," Kagome muttered as she trailed in after him, glancing behind at the door as it barricaded them in. "I swear, this place is way too hyped up," she said, this time louder. "It's going to make me get that paranoia that's been going around like influenza." She looked around at the windowless room, while not bear of furnishings, definitely bare of the personal touch. She shrugged. All the Green Rooms were like this.

"Why's it called a green room, anyway?" She asked. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing green about it."

Her adoptive brother laughed. "It's like a code; you know that. Sort of like 'code red' in the movies."

"Now that's what I don't understand," the young woman pursued. "I mean, we have everything from 'code Technicolor Puce to Code Black and White but why, for the love of Kami, do we _not_ have code red? I bet more people would understand it." She folded her arms over her chest. "I least _I _would understand it better anyway."

He considered this with a lopsided grin. "That's interesting," he commented. "Though not very practical. Everyone knows about 'code red', so if we did use it in some public place or other, some civilians might...react. Now, I thought we were going to talk."

"Yeah." She took a seat on the couch across from her sibling. Now that it was actually time to do this, she really didn't feel up to it anymore. She fingered the smooth material of her skirt. "After I got my grade today, I bumped into Totousai."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." She smiled nervously.

Her brother sighed. "Okay Kagome, what went wrong? You're obviously edgy about something. No offense, dear sister, but your acting skills royally suck." All he got in return for that little slur was another nervous smile. Usually it would have been much more responsive; Kagome didn't like being chided about her acting.

"I'm not going to like this very much, am I?" That smile again. _Damn_.

She turned away. "Well, Totousai said..."

"What did Totousai say?" he asked. He was usually more patient than most, but if something concerned his little sister...well, let's just say there was considerably less patience left in him. The next time he spoke, his tone was a warning one. "Kagome, spill. Now."

"See, Totousai saw my scores. You know how he was always impressed with those little white lies I liked to pull off? He told me to get an agent so I could, in his exact words, 'get a real launch into our world and see for yourself what has been done and what will be.'" She paused and gave that false grin again. "I think he wants me to, you know."

Miroku was to the point of grinding his molars now. "And you agreed?"

"Well...how couldn't I?"

He sank into his couch. Kagome was going to be the end of him, someday. After her grandpa—_their_ grandpa—had that accident with those _youkai_ a few years back, she'd been getting more and more wild by the day. He blamed a lot of it on his own influence. Now his baby sister wanted to become a _miko_ of all things? "Kaede won't let you," he told her stubbornly.

"Oh, is that what you're worried about?" She brightened slightly. "She said that I should do it to get some more experience."

"Then why were you so pissed at her if she agreed? You're usually the one to show respect to your elders. And frankly, calling her an 'old bitch' really doesn't meet your normal qualifications."

Her demure fell slightly. "She also told me a piece of her mind concerning modern dress, boyfriends, under-age drinking, and the rest of the works in the same breath in which she accepted me. So, will you let me go?"

"Oh. That explains it." He patted her arm, forgetting to be angry at her. "Don't worry, I got the same lecture when I got my—wait." He turned on her. "You're trying to distract me from the topic, aren't you?" After two years in her company again, he had finally caught on most of her little tricks. "You were just like this when you were younger," he mumbled.

It was true; she hadn't changed one bit. She dived head first into what she wanted and chased after it until she got it. He supposed having only a grandparent to take care of two children did affect their outcome somewhat. Especially if their family had been a part of some secret war for generations. He admitted that even _he_ hadn't turned out for the best. Genocide really wasn't something to be proud of, you see; necessary or not. For yes, they were trying to wipe out an entire race.

Just as that race was trying to wipe the last of _them_ out. _Them_ being the _youkai_ which had existed since before the dawn of mankind.

Ever since they were young, the two of them had been trained in all kinds of combat and weapons. Guns, while most widely used in the _miko_ system which they were a part of, weren't well handled by young. Not to mention the laws that they broke to do so. But with the _miko_, you were never sure what was legal and what wasn't. So both had been trained with staff, then daggers, and finally to the larger weapons. Personally, Miroku like the staff. Kagome had always preferred the gun, right after her outlawed bow and arrows. And since those were put on ban since The Incident fifty years ago, the gun naturally became her first choice of preference.

Yes, they were probably a danger to society and government. But even further, the youkai were a much larger threat. After all, how far could you trust a demon?

"Please, please, please," she continued to beg him, giving her most pleading expression. The one she hadn't used since she was ten and as he remembered was utterly irresistible to him. "They said they'd only start me on the easier cases." A complete and utter lie.

She continued, "and you know I can lie through my teeth with a smile and no one notices. Even you."

There must have been something wrong with him if he hadn't caved yet. His eyes narrowed. "You're certain?" She nodded quickly. He sighed. _Yes, yes, yes! _"I don't know, Kags. It's just that..."

_No, no, no, no! _"But it pays better than your job and I get to be an actress; just like the way we used to pretend play at. Remember? Where I would pretend to be someone like, Britney Spears or something and you would be all my adoring fans?"

If anything, his face darkened. This was not the sign that she looking for to win him over. "Actress, yes. Slut, no."

"I resent that." She turned away in a pout.

"Look, Kagome, it's like this." He spun her back so she was facing him again. "The definition of a _miko_ today is not what it was five hundred years ago—or even a century. You know this, right? And you know what happened all those years ago, with that one, and..." He ran his hand through his now mussed hair. "Shit, Kagome, you're going to have to be a total whore. And I don't care what anyone thinks, but I don't want my little sister going through all that."

She stared at him. Miroku, her stronghold and the person she had looked up to since she met him, had called her a slut, a whore, and he had swore. "Did you just...?"

"Yes, damnit." He seemed thoroughly disturbed by now. "I knew the gramps never should have told you all those stories about the noble _mikos_...Kagome, you know all this, don't you?" She hung her head. "You know what you're going to have to..." He winced. "You're going to have to seduce them and—." He stopped and let out a sound of exasperation.

They stood in utter silence for some time.

"Fuck, Kags, you're going to have to sleep with demons."

She was very quiet when she said, "I know."

He turned on her, grabbing her by the shoulders. He wanted to shake her for all he was worth; to get some sense into her. "You're only nineteen! What about college? What about your whole life? You're going to give up everything for a month of fame, a month of being a whore, and a month of murder?"

"But it's an...honor," she said, fumbling for the right word. It was almost like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to do him. "For the family. Mother did it, and grandma before that. All the way back..."

He sighed. "An honor, huh?" He regarded her carefully. Her hair in disarray, falling over his shoulders. Her cheeks rosy, her blue-gray eyes contemplating. She had blossomed from the little girl he once knew and loved. He still loved her, but she was no longer his baby sister. In the back of his mind, a small part of him wished he'd never gotten involved with this family or this whole secret war. But he couldn't have avoided it short of dying or not existing. Not only was he adopted into it; he had also been born into it. "And what's so honorable about dying at the hand of some pathetic _hanyou_ or some equally pathetic _youkai_." He spat the words with disgust.

Kagome reached up and hugged him. "I know," she whispered. "You don't think I don't know all of that? I've heard the stories. Our family's _miko's_ have been targeted since god knows how long. But you know our powers come from this. It's tradition. it's honor. It's...finding out exactly who I am." He pushed her away and stared at her, scrutinizing. "It's revenge."

"No," he replied. "No. It's folly. It's suicide. It's rape, that's what it is. To send all these innocent young women to kill themselves this way, it's—" He stopped suddenly and stared at his hand. Cloth, spells, and prayer beads had covered the hell-hole there as long as he could remember. "Kagome," he repeated, as if saying her name would change her mind. But he knew her mind was made up.

"Thanks, Miroku." She leaned up and gave him another hug, much briefer this time. "Love you," she whispered in his ear before pulling away and punching the code into the door. She turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry." With another wave, she was gone.

.

.

.

**Two Years Later,**

A small red convertible pulled into the roadside gas station. Three girls got out of the car, leaving the remaining occupant to fill up. They were all young; twenty-one and eager, finally together again after three long years of separation. It was a reunion of sorts. Giggling, they entered the small mart.

"I can't believe it's been a year since we've seen each other," one of them commented as she glanced through soft drinks. "I mean, I really can't believe Ayumi's engaged already while I'm still stuck at some stupid college for at least three years."

The girl, Ayumi, smiled. Her waving brown tresses bobbed in an up and down motion as she nodded. "But everyone has different times. No one should be rushed. Just look at Eri, she's gotten into an _American_ University. And me? I haven't even gone to college yet; I doubt I ever will. Cheer up, Yuka."

Yuka shook her head but gave her a grin anyway. "That's only because you have Hojo," she teased. Ayumi blushed and looked down. The girl had grown so much from being the bubbly one of the group.

"But we're missing someone," the remaining girl spoke up. Two heads turned towards her. She had gained some weight, but she was still their Eri.

"Yes," Yuka agreed. "I stayed up the whole night just searching for her whereabouts the other day, but Kagome's not listed in any phonebook I've looked through."

Ayumi's head snapped up. "Oh! I almost forgot." She pulled out a small business card from her purse. "I was doing some digging as well and I found this number; it's her brother's." They looked at her skeptically, but she shrugged. "I didn't call him yet."

"You didn't?" Eri snatched the card from her friend and immediately pulled out her cell. "I've been aching to get with him since forever!" she squealed. At Yuka's glare, she laughed. "Just kidding," she amended. "Of course I'm going to ask for Kagome."

"Don't do that, Eri," Yuka scolded.

While the other two waited expectantly at the phone, Ayumi wandered off to other things. Catching a picture on a magazine, she picked it up and flipped it open. Her eyes widened. Was that Kagome? She read the article quickly. "Oh my god," she squeaked. "It really _is_ her. And I thought..."

"How rude," Eri was muttering as she approached Ayumi. She stuffed the phone back into her pockets. She looked at her friend. "The idiot got all mad at me after I asked for Kagome. Told me to go look in the nearest magazine or something. If I didn't know better, I'd think that dude has some serious problems..." She sighed and leaned against the counter. "What are you looking at?"

The younger girl pointed mutely at the magazine.

She rolled her eyes. "I know you're reading a magazine, Ayumi."

"No," Yuka intercepted them and pulled the magazine out of the youngest girl's hands. She had been looking at her own copy for some time now, too. She spread it out on the counter so it was in view of all three of them. "Look at this, Eri."

As Ayumi had done earlier, the other girl's jaw dropped as she caught sight of the familiar face, a year older, but still the same. "Oh Kami...Is that _Kagome?_"

The other two nodded, and the three traded similar looks. In unison, the three yelled and bought it, rushing out of the store. "Hojo!" Ayumi called out at the surprised man.

"Yes, dear?" He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek as she came into distance. The girl giggled but shook him off, which of course, worried her caring betrothed. "Is something the matter," he asked lightly.

She shook her head and pointed to the book in hand. "Look at this, Hojo!" she exclaimed, her friends not far behind her. "We spent so much time looking for her that and she was on the billboards the whole time!" She pointed at the big one behind the gas station.

All three of them turned on her. "Did you see that before you saw her in the magazine?"

She smiled and nodded. "I've seen adverts for it since right after Kagome left!" she exclaimed, bubbly and excited just like old times.

"And you didn't tell any of us because, _why_?"

"I dunno." The girl paused to think. "I just didn't think that it really was Kagome, you know."

Yuka shook her head. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?" she asked. That totally blew her hypothesis about all three of them maturing after high school. When the girl was about to open her mouth to answer, she shook her head again. "Don't answer. So much for our small reunion. We have got to go meet Kagome!"

She dragged all of them back into the car as Hojo went off to pay. Flipping open the magazine again, the three studied each fact carefully.

"Just what did Kagome _do_ to deserve all this?" Eri finally dared to ask after a minute of intent but silent reading.

Ayumi smiled and patted the girl on the back. "It's okay," she consoled. "Think about it this way: if Kagome's famous now, that means we're friends of someone with someone whose face is plastered all over the news and is probably filthy rich! Just think of all the shopping you can do!"

"Uh-huh," Yuka replied sardonically. "I'm sure she'll take that as a compliment. And just what makes you think Kagome's going to welcome us with open arms? After all, I heard that the rich and famous don't need friends."

"Of course they do," Ayumi replied happily, pulling them into a big hug. "Everyone needs friends." Then she paused. "And little sisters," she added as an afterthought.

The others exchanged confused glances.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eri asked. "None of us _have_ siblings."

"Oh, not you guys; I meant Miroku."

Glances were exchanged over her head once again. "Miroku? You mean Kagome's adopted brother? The one you told me you didn't talk to yet?"

"Of course I've talked to him," she replied matter-of-factly. "Just not over the phone."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Yuka crossed her arms over her chest. She was right; Ayumi hadn't changed one bit. Still bubbly, and still doing everything without actually knowing what she was doing. But as always, it annoyed her more than a little bit that the seemingly ignorant girl was the one who managed to see everything and find everything first.

The girl gave a bright smile. "I went to visit him just a week ago!" she exclaimed, as if it were the most natural and most exciting thing in the world to do.

Yuka raised her eyebrow. "And Hojo doesn't feel offended that you're visiting another man by yourself?"

"Is he supposed to mind?" She leaned forward and pecked her fiancé on the cheek. "We trust each other you know, and that's how we're going to feel forever and always." He grinned back at her through the mirror. She turned back to her friends and lifted her shoulders. "We were only talking about Kagome."

"Kami, pul-_lease_." Eri flopped back in her seat. "Why don't you tell us these things earlier? Like when we're actually worked up about it and asking?"

Ayumi frowned. "But you're worked up and asking about it now." Her two friends could be so silly sometimes. She wished Kagome were here again. But from what Miroku had said to her, it sounded as if the girl's fame and wealth were the road to her funeral or something. But then again, everyone seemed to have something against it when they weren't rich or famous. It was like they were jealous or something. But Ayumi didn't mind. She was perfectly content with what she had; and it was all the better that one of her friends had finally found happiness. Now she just wished the other two might as well. So better not to tell them about the guy's slightly disturbing manner.

She giggled at the memory of the other half of the visit.

"What's so funny?" Yuka demanded, arms folded over her chest.

"Oh, nothing. I just remembered something again."

The two pounced instantly. "What? What did you remember? Did he tell you something important?" They saw Ayumi pale and began to worry.

Eri shook the girl lightly. "What's wrong?" she asked, worried.

"You guys are going to get mad at me if I tell, because I'm not supposed to tell until the day it starts," she told them.

"The day _what_ starts?" they pressed. "Come on, if it's important, you _have_ to show us."

She caved, just as she always did. "Okay," she said. "Hand me my purse, will you?--Thanks." She dug around the leather bag for a while before finally extracting three tickets. "This is what he gave me."

Yuka was staring now, but Eri didn't seem to notice. "Who gave you tickets? And to _what_?"

"Miroku, of course," she answered brightly. "They're supposed to be tickets for Kagome's Birthday Bash this Saturday." Then she frowned. "It is her birthday this week, right? I mean, I saw this commercial for tickets to it the other day when I was watching that anime marathon, and they were, like, really expensive. But I thought it was just a publicity stunt or something..." She was worried since neither of the girls had mentioned it.

"Oh." Yuka looked slightly embarrassed. "I had totally forgotten about it in the excitement of us getting back together again."

"Yeah," the other girl agreed. "So did I." They turned on Ayumi again. "Wait...why would Miroku give you tickets to Kagome's birthday party? I mean, from what we read in the article, Kagome's now, like, way up there with all the celebs."

"He gave it to us because we're his little sister's friends, of course! Why else? And she's not a celebrity," she informed them. "She's Kagome, our best friend."

"No shit, Sherlock," Eri muttered. She'd been on her best behavior long enough. There was only so much a college girl could take, and finding out your best friend had become a star in your absence was definitely not covered in the stress insurance. "So Ayumi," she started off in a different tone. If her suspicions were correct, the same out trick could be used on her to spill all she knew on the subject. "You ready for a tickle attack?"

The girl frowned. "Huh? Why?"

There was no way Ayumi was doing this to them by accident anymore. She was bubbly and slightly air headed at times, true, but this was a 19 year-old girl, engaged and all, with a big secret. Only older men could make her keep her lips shut when it came to gossip, and after staying home a whole year while most other girls her age where studying hard at school, she was bound to have gotten a lot of gossip. And since she had been with Kagome's charming, although slightly lecherous, older brother, whom Ayumi had just coincidentally had a small crush on back in middle school...

Yuka caught on quickly. "Well, we know you know more than us about everything, so we were thinking that if you were such a good girl to keep a secret, we would award to. Like this." She reached over and tickled her friend across the stomach.

Needless to say, defenses dropped all too quickly. "Okay! Just don't tickle me."

"So, keep talking."

Ayumi pursed her lips, but did. "Apparently, Kagome got into the acting business a few months after we separated at the end of high school. She has this totally cool agent--though I think he might be gay--but she only took small roles for the first year or so. And then this year, she got this role for that movie..._Pebble_, I think it was?"

"No, it was called _Stone_," Hojo corrected from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, _Stone_. Anyway, it's about something or the other, but she gets to act with Kouga! Can you believe? I mean, remember my crush on him since after Hojo started going after Kagome? I was _soo_ in love with him." Then she stopped for a moment. "Though that might have just been rebound..."

Eri rolled her eyes. "How do you use someone for rebound when you've never met them in real life? Talk about idol worship." She turned to the sole male occupant. "Are you sure you don't mind Ayumi's little crush?"

"Of course not," was the reply. "Why would I?"

"I guess being engaged isn't the problem," she muttered under her breath. Louder, she turned to Ayumi again. "Okay, enough with your life stories. Tell us about Kagome."

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Um...where was I?" Before anyone could answer, she remembered. "_Stone_. She's still doing it right now, but her agent got pictures of her out and everything, and I guess she's pretty good with the guys, so--"

"Hold up, girl. Slow down." Yuka held up her hand. "Since when did Kagome become 'pretty good with the guys?' She's, like, only ever dated Hojo, and I think she stood him up more than a few times before they went on an actual date."

The said male decided to insert his own comment. "I didn't mind," he said with a smile.

"I know you didn't," came the mumbled answer.

Ayumi ignored all interruptions. "So she's was really popular with the guys, and now Jakotsu wants her to do some modeling thing or other. But--"

"Wait up, again. Modeling? Ayumi, are you pulling this out of your ass just to tell us something. Kagome does _not_ do modeling. Nuh-uh."

The girl was getting slightly annoyed at all the interruptions by now. "I didn't _finish_ yet," she stressed. "So about the modeling thing. Kagome refused it, or at least, gossip said she refused. We're really not sure, because Jakotsu's really good at keeping her personal life and stuff out of the media."

"Who's this Jakotsu you keep on talking about?" injected Eri. "He's not her boyfriend, is he?"

She gave a look of pure horror. "Jakotsu! No way?! That means he's not gay. Oh my god, I'm going to have to tell them, then."

Eri frowned. "Huh?" This was going a bit above her head.

"I think Jakotsu was the gay agent she was going on about," Yuka explained before leaning over to the other girl. "Ayumi! I think Jakotsu's still gay and I doubt he's Kags' boyfriend."

The girl seemed somewhat downtrodden at the news. "Then why did you say so in the first place?" Then she brightened at once. "That means Kagome still has a chance to fall in love with Kouga!" Immediately, she was lost in her own mumblings and plans of matchmaking and tossing ideas to her fiancé, who began tossing them right back at her.

"Is it just me, or do I think she's living through this supposed Kagome?" Yuka asked the only other sane person in the car.

"I don't think it's just you, though...Ayumi! Where's this Bash supposed to be at?"

"Huh?" The other two paused long enough for her to check. "Uh, Hokkaido. Asahikawa."

Yuka blanched and pointed at her watch. "Today's Friday. It's almost eight. We need to go shopping for presents and the party starts tomorrow at noon! Why don't you tell us these things earlier?"

Naturally, no one paid attention as they entered the city limits of Hiroshima. They were all to busy wincing at Ayumi's squealed delight at yet another billboard, this time featuring both Kouga and Kagome in their new movie. Of course, she wasn't squealing for her friend this time.

* * *

**A/N:** Confused? Don't worry, all will be explained soon. And the whole genocide thing...hmm.

Told you it'd be longer. 4,700 words on 12 pages...why don't I think the next chapters are going to get any shorter? Okay, hope you enjoyed. Explanations one _everything_ later as well as the whole Kagome-as-an-actress plot twist. Yes, Kagome's going to be an actress big-time in the fic, but no, it's not in the way you think. I think.

Okay, now I'm going to go back and re-read to to snag all the missing details and mistakes I made...


End file.
